Automobile door handle



Jan. 25, 1944. a. N. HARDEN AUTOMOBILE DOOR HANDLE Filed Feb. 2, 1942 INVENTOR' Geo/"ye /V Harden BY 75 zl zrneys.

Patented Jan. 25, W44

AUTOMOBILE DOOR HANDLE George N. Harden, Detroit, Mich assignor to Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 2, 1942, Serial No. 429,249

1 Claim.

This invention relates to door handles,

It is the object of the invention to provide a simple means to permit the door handle to break its connection with the spindle when the handle is forced. Handles are often forced by unauthorized persons trying to get into the car by means of a piece of pipe telescoped over the end of the handle. With a lock which uses a blocking type of dog, this will usually break the mechanism and entry into the car can be had. With the semi-free-wheeling type of handle, the marauder cannot get into the car if he forces the handle, but nevertheless, he may break the lock and make it impossible for the owner of, the car to get in. It would also require replacement of the broken l5 lock.

Breakable connections have already been proposed to forestall the marauder. Shear pins or easily severable cast or molded connections of the handle to the spindle have been proposed, but

these are relatively more expensive than the simple arrangement which I have designed.

Furthermore, this breakable connection is particularly adapted to a stamped metal type of handle which is particularly desirable at this time when it is dificult to obtain the metals necessary for a die cast handle.

In the drawing Fig. l is an elevation of the handle with some 3 of the portions broken away.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the slip clutch type of washer.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a modified form of washer,

Fig. 6 is an edge view of the same.

I designates a piece of heavy bar stock which forms the core of the handle stem. This is given an are shaped curve to conform to the 40 this shoulder 8 is inserted-lock washer I. This is a washer with internal teeth, as shown in Figs. 3

and the reduced opposite directions. The handle stem is riveted to the end of the spindle with the toothed washer intervening between the handle stem and the shoulder 6 of the spindle. The head 8 of the rivet is forced down securely so as to cause the deformable teeth of the washer to be deformed and flattened out. The .washer with the teeth is made of spring steel and is a common type of lock washer which is now on the market for locking a nut on a bolt. The riveting is sufiiciently tight so that under ordinary usage of the door handle the washer will never slip, but the riveting is not sufiiciently tight so that the washer will hold when the handle is forced, as by applying a pipe to the handle stem. When forced the washer teeth will be applied to the stem. This outer shell is a unit made up of four members. A spacer strip 9 has depressions In, one near each end of the spacer, and into these depressions are riveted the sheet metal nuts ll. Over the outside of the 0 spacer strip is a sheet metal scalpl2. This scalp can be chrome or nickel plated or if these metals are unobtainable it may be lacquered. This scalp is fastened to the spacer strip by turning over the inside edges E3 of the scalp. The outer shell unit may then be removably fastened to-the stem or core of the handle by means of screws [4, the ends of which are slightly countersunk below the inner surface of, the core member.

What I claim is:

A door handle having in combination a spindle provided with a reduced end forming a shoulder, a handle stem riveted on the reduced end of the spindle and a deformable washer secured between the stem and the shoulder and put under stress when the stem is secured to the reducedportion of the spindle so as to form a slip clutch connection between the handle stem and the spindle, adapted and 4, or external teeth, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

These teeth are preferably inclined alternately in to yield only when abnormal stress is placed upon the handle to force'the handle.

GEORGE N. mum 

